Mountain bikes are bicycles specifically designed and constructed for use in hilly and often dirty environments. Their frames are very sturdy but their exposed gears are their Achilles' heel. A mountain bike drive train is a typically a combination of a steel chain, aluminum front chain rings, metal or aluminum rear gears or sprockets and plastic derailleur pulley wheels. This creates ten to eleven or more exposed gears or sprockets. To work properly, these gears must be cleaned and oiled regularly. Due to the nature of mountain biking (often riding in the dirt or mud) the oiled drive train attracts dirt which leads to poor performance. Moreover, the combination of dirt and oil creates an abrasive paste that prematurely wears the aluminum and plastic parts. Consequently, the drive train of mountain bikes must be frequently cleaned, ideally after every outing.
Some prior art chain cleaning devices clean the chain without requiring that the chain be removed from the bike, but do not clean the chain wheel (front gears), rear cassette (rear gears), or derailleur pulley wheels. These devices typically comprise a solvent reservoir and one or more brushes fixed near the reservoir to facilitate cleaning the chain with the solvent. Other prior art cleaning devices require one to disassemble the entire drive train and put the components into a dedicated parts washer, which are not portable. These devices require one to "break" the chain, which weakens the chain rivet and can lead to chain breakage. Additionally, one can take the bike to a so-called self car wash, however the large powerfull spray is not controllable and exposes the cartridge, wheel bearings, and bottom bracket bearings to dirt, water, and soap under pressure. This option clearly is not portable and the user often gets as wet as the bike.